Summary Of Revisiting Agathocles By Victoria Kahn

“Revisiting Agathocles” by Victoria Kahn reevaluates Machiavelli’s use of Agathocles in The Prince, attempting to read between the lines in order to differentiate between Machiavellian virtu and true glory. Despite the extensiveness of the argument, the entire article circulates around a single statement on page 35 of The Prince, “Yet one cannot call it virtue to kill one’s citizens, betray one’s friends, to be without faith, without mercy, without religion; these modes can enable one to acquire empire, but not glory.” Kahn uses this brief mention of glory, and Agathocles’ apparent lack thereof, to justify her thesis that Machiavelli distinctly and purposefully separated the meanings of virtu and virtue, virtu and success, and success and glory

Kahn states that a prince “need not even possess virtue in the sense of such dedication to the common good,” but that he rather “possess the virtue that consists of ‘brain,’ or ‘greatness of mind,’ and manliness combined . . . and possessed by the criminals Agathocles and Severus” (Kahn). The prince need not obtain Machiavellian virtu to hold and rule over his kingdom, in fact, Agathocles experienced much success throughout his life having never obtained virtu. Machiavelli claims that Agathocles lived for a long time, secured in his kingdom defending himself from external enemies without the citizens conspiring against him. Kahn concisely argues that “Agathocles retained his position for his entire life because he curbed his violent deeds and catered to the interest of is subjects.” While virtu might be the easiest way to hold a principality, it is not the only recipe for success. Machiavelli uses this point of virtu, not to encourage the Medici to pursue alternative methods of power like Agathocles, but to demonstrate the convenience of